Inapproriate laughing.....continued

What a slap in the face! We were playing with my niece and nephews when my nephew fell and got some owies. Brayden instantly burst into laughter. I was appalled! But as I was lecturing him about sympathy and being nice to your friends, I realized, no wonder he's laughing. Where would he learn such behavior? Probably from his mom who is always laughing when he falls, or his sisters fall. Honestly, I try to conceal it, but some of the spills are so hilarious and goofy looking. I am going to consciously try NOT to laugh (when they're looking). Being nice all the time and a good role model is NOT easy. This mom business is hard work, I'm still not sure if I'm cut out for it. My poor kids are getting a raw deal.

Inapproriate laughing.....

Ok, this is a record... three posts in one day! But, Brayden is at Grandma Phillips' house, so I can type in some peace and quiet. Here goes.... Kent and the girls and I were at Joe's this morning just walking around. As we were cruising the store, I saw an older, heavier lady near the bike section. She was casually checking out the bikes and when I turned around she was riding one. The old saying, "You don't forget, it's like riding a bike." Not so true.... I turned around just in time to see her leaning to the side, she didn't even stick her leg out to catch herself. She landed smack on her side. As I'm typing this it sounds really awful, but it was sooo funny! Kent and I both had to turn the other way so we didn't make a huge scene laughing at her. (Her husband was there to help her). Every time I picture it in my mind, I bust up laughing. I know this is evil, but it was like a movie. After ten minutes we were brave enough to walk past the same area so we could go pay. I saw her bravely meandering through the store! I would have been out of there so fast.
As many of you know I laugh inappropriately pretty much daily, this is the latest example, it really is evil isn't it? No wonder Kent gets upset when I laugh at him!

A slice of Sunshine!

On Friday we decided to finally venture outside. It was a warm 34 degrees. The kids have been going nuts all cooped up inside. They rode bikes and ran a little. It was nice to finally get some fresh air, I didn't last as long as they would have liked. Is that a sign of getting old, when you are cold ALL the time and can't warm up? They would have played for hours, but I was too much of a wimp.

Dani sneaking up the steps.

Brayden going "super fast!"

Coy little Dani.

Mischievous Ellie.

Scaling the mountain, notice the appropriate shoes she insisted on wearing, on the wrong feet, naturally!

Husband of the year!

On Kent's day off (president's day) I worked with my niece and nephew on their speech skills. Kent was kind enough to agree to watch all of the kids while I worked. When I came upstairs he had all the kids at the table eating dinner! It was so great, and such a relief that I didn't have to deal with it that night. What a treat! It was quite the sight, five kids sitting at the table by themselves having "toddler talk." I am so lucky to have such a great husband. I know he looks thrilled in this pic. I think he was just about finished with his dinner duties.

Valentine's Fun!

Errr, I finished my post and I accidentally deleted these top two pics. They're supposed to be at the bottom. I wish I was savvy and knew how to fix these mistakes!

This is a long one... I haven't uploaded pics. in a while and I had a hard time choosing just a few. :) This pic. was the other morning and they all decided to snuggle together on the floor.

It really was quite cute, I wish I could have gotten a pic. where they were all looking, but no such luck.

I told B that Valentine's day is Auntie Sandy's favorite holiday and he wanted to make her a Valentine right then and there! It is an extra special BIG one too! I hope you got it on time Auntie Sandy, it took me a while to find a big enough envelope and then go to the post office. He drew a sweet pic. of our family and he made sure Ellie was the smallest, because Dani is taller now. "Ellie is the smallest and Daddy is the biggest."

This was too funny, he wasn't quite sure what to do with dirty, sticky fingers.

This is my darling, adorable Dani-Claire-bear. This is so her, it makes me laugh. She will be happy go lucky one second, and then temper tantrum the next. She refused to put her jammies on, which was fine, so she hung out naked for a while and insisted on wearing her sassy black shoes, which she loves. I have no idea what she's screaming about. :)

Friday night we took the kids to Raptor Reef in Hayden, ID. It's a cool indoor water park with three big water slides, a wave pool, hot tub and nice kid area. Kent, Brayden and I have been before but this was the first time we ventured out there with the girls. They absolutely LOVED it! B was so cute, on the way out there he said, "Mom if you and Daddy want to go on the big slides I can watch my sisters so you can have fun with Daddy." So sweet, of course we didn't do that. :) But we were able to take turns and take B up on the slides. I think I went with him at least 20 times, it was quite a workout hiking up the stairs. Apparently it was for him too, because when we left he said, "I am so tired and hungry." He never admits that he's tired and he fell asleep on the way home in the car, which he hasn't done in years!

The girls loved it, they all had purple/blue lips because the water was kind of cold, but they insisted on playing and going down the kids slides. I wish I had pics. they were so cute in their swimsuits and bikinis!

The bath pics. are special because lately we have been giving them showers. It is so much easier to rotate them through that way, than filling the bath and cleaning up all of the spillage!

They all LOVE the bath but Dani seemed especially thrilled!

After bath time Dad helped Brayden make a tent in his room where he could sleep. He lasted about 20 minutes, then moved up to his bed, "Where I could see my special snail blanket."

We usually make V-day cookies before V-day, but last week we ran out of time, so we made them on the actual day. This is a tradition that I always did with my mom and my kids seem to love it too! What a mess, but so fun for them, not so much for me anymore. :)

Kent was home this time around, which made it fun. I told the kids to pick out their cookie cutters. We have a box of a 100. E chose a blue star, B had a pink heart (very appropriate) and D had a green gingerbread man. Kent was not having that! He told them to give them to him and he passed out all the pink hearts, that were appropriate! I guess that was good since we were making V-day cookies!

Good to Go!

I got a call from my brother, Ryan. He told me the Dr. has cleared him to go back to work! Ryan just reached the two month mark since his heart valve replacement surgery. I am amazed to say the least. I can't believe he has recovered so quickly. He says he can already tell a difference since pre-surgery. It is easier for him to breathe and take deep breaths. All is well!

Battle Scars

I thought this morning would be a good time to check out Joe's while Brayden was in pre-school. Two kids are easier than three, right? A friend let me know that Joe's is having a great sale on remote control cars, 12.50, regularly $50! Great, I will get one for B's B-day in Sept. I drop B off at school and head to the store with the girls. It started out a little rough this morning. Ellie had a naughty twinkle in her eye, the second she woke up. She is due for some naughtiness, Dani has been at it for a long time now. Anyway, we walk into the store, one girl on each side of me holding hands nicely. I find a cart and the girls insist on sitting in the big, back part. I never let them, because I don't trust them to sit still, but I knew what I wanted and we wouldn't take long. They both cram into the back of the cart. We cruise down the aisle and they have a TON of the cars! I am thrilled, while I am looking, I turn around and both girls are STANDING in the cart. Not a huge surprise, so I tell them to sit on their bums, while an employee is glaring at us. I am trying to check out the cars because there are three different models, at this point the girls start SHRIEKING! Shrieking that is ringing my ears. I tell them to be quiet, (I am still using my patient mom voice). Then I try to load 3 cars into the cart. (One for B, and two for my nephews). These suckers are huge and only one will fit on the bottom of the cart. This is a problem.... I try to shove one into the cart with the girls, but they weren't having it. Great.... why would this be easy and quick? So while I'm trying to pry the boxes back out and bending into the cart, Ellie pulls back on the front seat and the whole thing smacks me on my lip. I instantly taste blood and almost fall to the ground. (this whole time the girls are screaming again). I gather up the damn boxes and march to the front of the store, while I'm sucking on my swollen lip. The guy at the register just stares at us, while we're walking up the aisle. Thank god it was early and not many people were in the store. He tries to be pleasant while I am trying to stop the tears from pouring out of my eyes, my lip HURTS! He was glad to see us go, and probably laughed the whole time I tried to juggle the boxes to the van with two screaming banshees!

The sacrifices moms make for a bargain! (My lip just has a huge gouge out of the inside, no bleeding now).